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Red light cameras

Whaleblue said:
I’m saddened.

Maybe it’s because we live in a society where one might be prosecuted for making a judgment call on when it’s safe to break the rules safely.

Or maybe because anyone might think that a possible £30 fine is not worth taking on the chin for the possibility of making the difference between life and death of a stranger.
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One common thread subject on this forum is that many road users can't do a decent job of controlling a car/cycle/motorbike/shopping trolley. I don't think we should be trusting such incompetent road users to go through red lights just because they think they heard an emergency vehicle.
 
Cav said:
So you approached the lights at such a speed you could not stop or failed to brake hard enough to stop and got off. Lucky there was no one crossing that you would have run down and lucky to have such a dozy magistrate.

Either way nothing to boast of...
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You make two accusations which are both false. My point was actually that I wasn't speeding over the limit and managed to stop before entering the junction whereby traffic from the right would have hit me. It was also just before midnight. So a low if any foot flow and dry conditions. I was in two minds as I saw the amber come on, my decision was to brake.

My post was to assist the OP. Not make myself a target by "know it alls" such as thee.

I hope this makes sense, now.
 
Cav said:
. Lucky there was no one crossing that you would have run down and lucky to have such a dozy magistrate.

Either way nothing to boast of...
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Lights are timed sequences, for someone to be crossing they would also have to be going against a red..

From a Traffic cop; The leading and leaving amber is a constant 2 seconds

The minimum Intergreen is 5 seconds

The calculation of the intergreen period has nothing to do with speed but is calculated by the distance from the stop line to the point of collision on opposing leg and the increase of the intergreen is taken up by extending the all red period.

Either way the OP should've stopped.
 
Pedro83 said:
You make two accusations which are both false. My point was actually that I wasn't speeding over the limit and managed to stop before entering the junction whereby traffic from the right would have hit me. It was also just before midnight. So a low if any foot flow and dry conditions. I was in two minds as I saw the amber come on, my decision was to brake.

My post was to assist the OP. Not make myself a target by "know it alls" such as thee.

I hope this makes sense, now.
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Thanks for your input Pedro. This was my thinking, so it's interesting to know that it is possible to have all the facts considered, although I have to say, from my research thus far, the chances are very slight.
I think I'll ask for the photos anyway
 
Bummer getting a ticket but - not sure I would've been approaching any traffic light at 70mph especially in damp or wet conditions ! ....??
 
silviffer said:
Bummer getting a ticket but - not sure I would've been approaching any traffic light at 70mph especially in damp or wet conditions ! ....??
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indeed - suggests one might not have been full in control. I would suggest 6 points and a 20% of annual salary or min of £2000 fine.
 
silviffer said:
Bummer getting a ticket but - not sure I would've been approaching any traffic light at 70mph especially in damp or wet conditions ! ....??
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In my case it was a 30mph zone.

When/if taken to court, road surface/conditions are considered, so if it was wet I would add that I was driving under the limit. Thus in France the speed limit is reduced during rain/wet conditions, which I think is a great idea. While I am at it, why not keep all truck drivers from the middle lane during 07:00-19:00. It makes an enormous difference in not only theory (as a Traffic/Transport Engineer) but also from a subjective observation.
 
Nero said:
No, I was doing 90, and I only didn't see the lights as I was texting someone :rolleyes:
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Don't let Cav know. he will take the higher ground and of course, make you fully aware of the punishment that is righteously coming your way. Much to his gaiety.

;)

P
 
an update to this thread if anyone is interested. Received the conditional offer, but rather bizarrely was offered a course instead of the three points. Odd, considering I went on a speed awareness course a year ago (yes I am a shit driver) and I didn't think I would qualify for another one.
But it seems this is a different course (Sussex offer four different ones), so as it's not the same as the previous one(this was not a speeding offence this time), it doesn't automatically put me on three points.
I booked my place in December and paid with gusto.
I think I'll be looking over my shoulder until that day passes though, as I consider that a result.
 
Nero said:
an update to this thread if anyone is interested. Received the conditional offer, but rather bizarrely was offered a course instead of the three points. Odd, considering I went on a speed awareness course a year ago (yes I am a shit driver) and I didn't think I would qualify for another one.
But it seems this is a different course (Sussex offer four different ones), so as it's not the same as the previous one(this was not a speeding offence this time), it doesn't automatically put me on three points.
I booked my place in December and paid with gusto.
I think I'll be looking over my shoulder until that day passes though, as I consider that a result.
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Definitely a result. Hopefully, the course will give you an opportunity to ask some of the sort of questions that have been raised on here. I'd certainly be interested to know more about the official views on moving across a line to make room for the emergency services, for example. And I presume you'd like to know whether stopping before the junction, but actually across the line, is really a problem. I've been tailgated approaching junctions in the past, so that braking to stop on the line would probably have caused the car behind to hit me. And once I crossed a line on a red light to make room for the car behind, when I heard it skidding (it slithered to a stop in the space I'd vacated).

Perhaps we can draw up a list, and you can ask them and report back! ;)
 
The line is for you to stop behind. As in a stop line at a T junction, you MUST stop behind it. Yes, there are circumstances to be argued in court, but driving defensively and with a 'what if' mindset is the professional way.
 
Sue Pertwee-Tyr said:
Definitely a result. Hopefully, the course will give you an opportunity to ask some of the sort of questions that have been raised on here. I'd certainly be interested to know more about the official views on moving across a line to make room for the emergency services, for example. And I presume you'd like to know whether stopping before the junction, but actually across the line, is really a problem. I've been tailgated approaching junctions in the past, so that braking to stop on the line would probably have caused the car behind to hit me. And once I crossed a line on a red light to make room for the car behind, when I heard it skidding (it slithered to a stop in the space I'd vacated).

Perhaps we can draw up a list, and you can ask them and report back! ;)
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OK, reporting back, having just done the 'What's Driving Us?' course in Sussex. At least half of the 30 participants had a traffic light offence, most of them at the same junction as me, so a good money-spinner for the county. It's a dangerous driving offence, rather than care and attention, but the course covered 80 different offences. As it was a different course to Speed Awareness, I've managed to keep the points off this time. Phew.

On a stop light, no part of the vehicle must be over the line, not just the front wheels. A solid line is just that - same with no overtaking - never cross a solid line on your side. No defence. If you are stopped at a red, and an emergency vehicle comes up behind, you cannot legally cross the line to make space. The recommendation is always to stop short of the line for such an eventuality - wiggle room.

Interestingly, here in Chichester, we suffer from a selection of level crossings. I wouldn't dream of crossing on amber - I suppose it's the consequences - even though I know the train won't arrive for a couple of minutes, and slowly at that. But somehow, a traffic light amber seems more benign.

Oh well, you live and learn - I recommend the courses anyway, but it's probably a distress purchase!

Funnily enough, we were all asked to rate our driving skills on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being perfect). The lowest was 5, and highest 9, which means we were the cream of driving talent in Sussex - not. So why were we all there? :)
 
I was surprised to read recently that you can cross a white line to overtake a bicycle. Was that mentioned?
I also asked a lawyer about the crossing the line for an emergency vehicle. He confirmed it was an offence but he reckoned that there would be very good mitigating circumstances.
 
You can cross double white lines in the centre of the road if what you are overtaking is travelling at 16kph or slower.
 
Nero - which intersection in Chi did you get done at - was it the junctions at Basin Road, Southgate going on to the A286 to get to the A27 west bound.
 
Neither, it was the Sompting bypass on the A27 after Worthing. The junctions you mention don’t have cameras, but I’m always wary of the Southgate one - cars come from all directions with pedestrians chancing the lights too. Eastgate/St Pancras is even more scary.
 
Yes, there were one or two people cursing about that one too. Bloody dangerous junction though, and a real trap with two cameras further south
 
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